The Size Names are Meaningless
Go figure. Those names for the Starbucks sizes are actually meaningless. Much angst and comedy have devoted to Starbucks’ “unique” (or pretentious) lingo. And as it turns out, there’s no real reason for why a small is “tall” or a large is “venti.”
Source: South China Morning Post
Those cup size names first debuted at Howard Schultz’s 1986 solo business venture, Il Giornale, before he entered came back to the world of Starbucks. His Il Giornale partner, Dawn Pinaud, admitted to making up those names in a conference room.